1. Ramadan and Self Control

Allah says in the Qur’an: “Yet man prays for evil as eagerly as he prays for good. Truly man is ever hasty.” (17: 11) He also says: “Man is a creature of haste. I shall make My signs obvious to you. Do not, then, ask Me to hasten [things].” (21: 37) In another verse, He says: “You love this fleeting life, and give no thought to the life to come.” (75: 20-21)

Ramadan, the annual orientation course in self control, is visiting us once again. Muslims are conferred this opportunity once in a year in order to train their nafs (self), lest their whims and fancies overpower them and empty them of the human content. Primarily, fasting is just the form, the exterior. The content lies in integrity that it wants to inculcate within the human beings. Without integrity, Ramadan gets reduced to merely an exercise in controlling desires such as hunger and thirst. But since Allah is not interested in subjecting the people to pain, misery and rigor, the fasting has been endowed with a greater purpose i.e., consciousness of God. If Ramadan fails to instill into us the fear of accountability and responsibility towards the fellow human beings, it would be an exercise in futility.

The Qur’an makes it amply clear that fasting is the way to develop consciousness of God. But the Hadith amplifies it further. It makes it clear that if one does not stop telling lies and standing by false testimonies, Allah does not require him or her to abstain from food and drinks. Read together, these essentially demand of us a character that does not brook any kind of lies, untruths, falsehood in life. It demands a high degree of integrity, a transparent heart, a mind that is free from warfare between good and evil, an attitude where the eminence of good has already been settled. Ramadan is therefore an exercise in being true to oneself, not merely being honest. It seeks us to be people with integrity, people who stand by their word and bear no iota of deceit against God or anyone even in the remote recesses of their heart. The hunger and the abstinence are therefore the outer form. The real spirit of Ramadan lies in battling against the temptations of the self, and keeping the desires under check and seeking return to the righteous path on the faintest hint of succumbing to the demands of the self. Fasting of course, would end with Ramadan. But Islam requires integrity and the self control to stay with us in all areas of our life.

Sources: IslamicVoice.com

2. Hadith Corner

Abu Huraira (R) related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim).

3. Teacher Profiles

PTC BUZZ interviewed Mrs Al-Qudsi and Ms Rashid.

How do you include Ramadan in the daily schedule for the students?

Mrs. Al-Qudsi - it is my intention Inshaa Allah this year to organize a morning competition during assembly. I will ask a question about various Islamic topics. At the end of the month, we will tally the students who got the most correct answers. I will also help the students memorize the Iftar and suhur duaa. Lastly, I am planning to hold a door competition where every class is expected to decorate their homeroom door with an Islamic theme, the winner will have a Pizza party after Eid Inshaa Allah.

Ms. Rashid - The fifth and sixth graders have begun and will continue to study the various aspects of fasting and Ramadan until the end of Ramadan. The younger grades will have a heavy component of Ramadan related education interspersed within their regular curriculum inshaAllah.

Is there a personal goal you set for yourself each Ramadan?

Mrs. Al-Qudsi - Every Ramadan I challenge myself in reading more from the Quran . Every year I finish reading the whole Quran at least one time. I set a plan to pray taraweeh in the mosque every night. Every Ramadan, I feel I have a new chance of getting closer to Allah subhanahu wa taala and to be a better Muslim Inshaa Allah.

Ms. Rashid - The medicine of the heart is the Sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). I try to act upon the sunnas of Ramadan and the worship that this month brings such as Tarawih, Laylatul Qadr, recitation of the Qur'an and being more vigilant in watching over the state of my heart. More specifically, upon the advice of a wonderful teacher, my goal is to remove one haram (forbidden act) from my life and to add one act of worship that I can remain constant in throughout my life inshaAllah.

What are some of your Ramadan family traditions?

Mrs. Al-Qudsi - it is our tradition to prepare Iftar together, and my children help me prepare the soup, the fattoush (salad) and the fresh squeezed juice. We also set a time after Isha prayers to read Quran together, and everyone takes a turn to read a page while the rest are listening and following.

Ms. Rashid - Going to Tarawih with my parents, waking up for Suhur, a special dessert called Qatayif that we eat only in Ramadan, and getting together for Iftar with family and friends that we have not seen in a while.

4. Hey, But I Thought Homework Was For Kids!

What role do parents play in their children's homework?
Why do teachers assign homework? (The answer is not to "torture parents")

1. To review and practice that which they learned in class on their own - to see if they have absorbed and mastered the material.
2. To prepare for next day's class.
3. To embellish their learning by applying it to new situations.
4. To help our children become independent learners.

Where do parents fit in? DO NOT (I repeat) DO NOT do your child's homework. If you do it for them, it counteracts all of the goals of homework above. Your goals as parents are:

1. Create an environment that is conducive to homework. How? By showing that you think education and homework are important and by providing commonly used materials – sharpened pencils, pens, protractors, rulers, graph papers, etc.
2. Some children need your help organizing their homework time. Help them learn to prioritize.
3. Be around and available during homework time for HELP if needed. Avoid criticism or anger.
4. If your child is having difficulty in a subject you may look over the assignment when it is completed. But, be careful not to do the assignment for him - encourage him/her to proofread an assignment before you do.

Sources: Dr. Aliza Dworken Frohlich, School and child clinical psychologist